Pound The Rock

We build a strawman to defend LeBron James after he publicly admits to tampering with Anthony Davis, react to the news that Doc Rivers is out as Clippers head coach after 7 years, wonder whether the NBA needs its own Rooney Rule, marvel at the number of enticing coaching jobs up for grabs around the league, and eventually get around to previewing a fascinating Finals matchup between the Lakers and Heat.

Dissecting how the Lakers and Heat have moved within a win of the NBA Finals, and trying to figure out what a Mike D'Antoni-led Sixers team would look like.

We delve into the Lakers' Game 2 win, Anthony Davis' incredible buzzer-beater, Denver's botched coverage on the final play, some encouraging signs for the Nuggets, and the great big-man battle at the heart of the series. Then, some thoughts on Heat-Celtics following Gordon Hayward's return and a Game 3 Boston win. Plus: How should we feel about LeBron's MVP gripe?

We dig into Game 1 of Lakers-Nuggets, the first two games of Heat-Celtics, and ask some big picture questions about Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in the wake of The Greek Freak's second straight MVP award.

We react to the Nuggets' second straight 3-1 series comeback and stunning Game 7 beatdown of the lifeless Clippers - a game that featured transcendent performances from Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, and complete disappearing acts from Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Then, we marvel at yet another high-wire triumph for Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragic, and the seemingly unkillable Heat.

A Game 6 epic means Raptors-Celtics is going the distance, the eliminated Bucks are at a crossroads, Billy Donovan is out in OKC, Playoff Rondo strikes again, and a moment of appreciation for LeBron James.

With the conference semifinals in full swing, we break down what we've seen so far from all four series, with a focus on the Western Conference. We wonder: Did the Nuggets blow their shot to upset the Clippers with a back-breaking Game 3 loss, or can Nikola Jokic and a solid defensive game plan keep them in the hunt? Can the Rockets overcome Russell Westbrook's struggles? Can the Lakers bank on the kind of high-level production they got from their role players in Game 2? Are the Raptors running out of gas, or can they push the defensively dominant Celtics to a Game 7? And if he can't return in this series, have we seen the last of Giannis in a Bucks uniform?

Kyle Lowry and OG Anunoby breathe life into the Raptors, the Nets hire Steve Nash in a stunning move, and previewing the Western Conference's second round.

In this week's episode, we sort through the aftermath of the historic NBA players' strike, question Mike Budenholzer's decision-making in the Bucks' Game 1 loss to the Heat, re-litigate the Chris Paul-for-Russell Westbrook trade after the Thunder force Game 7 with another crunch-time victory over the Rockets, and marvel at the incandescent Donovan Mitchell-Jamal Murray shootout.

Yasmin Duale (@carmelohdrama) joins the show to break down the NBA playoffs so far and project where eliminated teams are heading. Also, what's wrong with Playoff P and the Clippers?

The playoffs are finally here, so let's dive into what we've learned from every series after one game, and what those observations might tell us about the rest of the playoffs.

With the seeding stage drawing to a close, we cap a wild two weeks by wondering whether the play-in should be here to stay, lauding the undefeated Suns and improbably plucky Nets, casting our votes for Bubble MVP and All-Bubble teams, and previewing the play-in ... thing (tournament? scenario? situation?) between the Blazers and Grizzlies. We also chat about the Bulls' long-overdue firing of coach Jim Boylen.

Ben Simmons, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jonathan Isaac go down, the West playoff race heats up, the Lakers are giving us cause for concern, and Michael Porter Jr. might be a budding star for Denver.

On this week's episode, we break down the first few batch of official games from inside the Disney bubble, including some thoughts on the Pelicans' roster construction, T.J. Warren's ascent, the continually confounding Sixers, the Raptors' defense, Kyle Lowry's brilliance, the Lakers/Clippers matchup, the Mavs' crunch-time struggles, the Thunder's playoff legitimacy, the Jazz's offensive struggles, and more.

With only a week to go until the NBA restarts in Disney World, we break down the most interesting teams - and potential matchups - to watch. In addition, Cash and Wolfond make their updated Finals predictions.

On this week's episode, we run down the latest dispatches from the Disney bubble, including Jimmy Butler's latest act of performative work ethic, injuries to Rajon Rondo and De'Aaron Fox, Zion Williamson's departure, and Victor Oladipo's $3-million change of heart. Then, we discuss Giannis Antetokounmpo's looming supermax decision, whether the Bucks would ever consider trading him, and the factors that might influence his (and any other superstar's)thinking.

Teams begin to arrive in Orlando with players complaining about food and lodging conditions. Meanwhile, Victor Oladipo and Bradley Beal are out, while Jamal Crawford and Michael Beasley are in.

On this week's episode, we discuss the NBA's reported plan to create a second bubble for its 8 eliminated teams to train in Chicago, how myriad player absences will affect the Nets and Lakers in Orlando, the Wizards' chances of making the playoffs, how Joakim Noah can help the Clippers, Maya Moore's humanitarian heroics, and the cognitive dissonance that comes with anticipating basketball's return amid a catastrophe.

In this week's episode, we honour the end of Vince Carter's career and discuss the players who have begun to opt out of the Orlando bubble, like Avery Bradley.

On this week's episode, we discuss the many legitimate arguments on both sides of the debate about whether or not to return to play, Kyrie as a messenger, what it would actually mean for the players to have a 'platform' in Orlando, and the many ins and outs of the NBA's exhaustive health and safety manual.